still here. >> we're still rolling, you know? >> i mean, if it's going to come, you might as well have some chocolatey, honey beer. >> tomorrow, maybe we'll see you back here, maybe not. who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? as long as it's friday. just make sure that check clears before the world blows up. coming up next, the movie that got democrats and republicans together -- you saw the clip already -- together in the same room last night. and stealing christmas right there in front of someone's front yard. this grinch is meeting justice. you're watching "world news now." ♪ you really are a heel ♪ you're a cuddly as a cactus you're as charming as an eel ♪ ♪ mr. grinch you're a bad banana with a ♪ it's time to change the way we clean.

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welcome back, everybody. abuse of marijuana and some prescription drugs is up among teens, according to a new federal survey. nearly 7% of high school seniors told the national institute on drug abuse they smoke pot daily. five years ago that number was 5%. now nearly 8% of teens admit to abusing the prescription adderall. and a new study finds there

may be a link between as prin and a new form of blindness. they may be at higher risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for old people. people across the country are being warned to watch out for grinches preying on their presents. surveillance video from a south florida home captured two thieves stealing a family's presents right off their front porch. the couple actually pulls into oscar sosa's driveway and takes the boxes that u.p.s. just dropped off. >> the holidays, you know, people tend to be more giving and stuff like that. and instead, there's people taking advantage of situations like that. >> thanks to the video, jorge and gloria perez were arrested. and the retailer reimbursed sosa for his presents, which cost more than $500. >> and maybe the things you can do to protect yourself is don't have your packages delivered without a signature. >> right. >> you have to be there.

take it inside so it's safe. >> and perhaps not have it delivered to your home, but have it delivered to your office. i think that is just despicable. >> what is your special place in? >> hell for people who steal gifts. >> i know you like that phrase. >> we'll be back with more after this.

♪ well, in the days since the massacre in connecticut, there's been lots of talk about gun control. but one amazing young man has taken action. >> and he has been for years, in fact. that's because he's a survivor of another school shooting and has travelled the country to reveal just how easy it is to put lethal firepower in just about anybody's hands. abc's terry moran has more. >> reporter: this heartbreaking season continues in newtown.

this season of funerals. as the country struggles to make sense of the horror, there's a voice you should hear. >> i know what it's like. it's the worst day of their life. it's chaotic. it's hopeless. [ sirens blaring ] >> reporter: colin knows what it's like to be in a classroom when an armed madman bursts in and starts shooting people. colin was a student at virginia tech. >> it was the most terrifying nine and a half minutes of my entire life. >> reporter: he was hit by four bullets. three of them are still in him. weeks after the shooting, he recalled those moments. >> the shooter came inside, and we were all on the ground, not moving, not making a scene at all. just lying there, acting -- playing dead, almost every one of us. yeah, it's been a little messy. >> reporter: colin's journey of recovery from that moment lying on the classroom floor bleeding to now, the rehab, the psychological therapy, the search for answers and meaning

it's all led him to this. >> we are better than this. we are better than a nation with mass shootings in movie theaters and schools and on our streets. >> reporter: he works at the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. but he does more than lobby and make public service announcements. he goes undercover to gun shows across the country, and he says he proves how ridiculously easy it is to buy guns without any kind of background check at all. as he shows us in a documentary called "living for 32," after the 32 virginia tech students who were murdered. >> i paid $300 for it. but i wouldn't mess with it for less. there's no tax, no paper, no nothing. i'm a retired schoolteacher.

>> reporter: here, at a gun show in ohio, he and his friends were able to buy an assault rifle without each of them having an i.d. polls show a strong majority of americans favor closing the gun show loophole. but in newtown, that wasn't the problem. at virginia tech, that wasn't the problem. the killers used legally purchased weapons. >> there's not one policy that's going to save us all. but background check is something that will make it more difficult for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun. >> reporter: colin is not a victim, but a survivor and a citizen activist with a youthful conviction that, yes, we can be better than this. >> i can't do this alone. i need people to come together on this. that's why i share my story. this is only going to be a period of my life. it's not going to be forever. but to the extent that i can share my story and move the ball forward, let's do it. >> reporter: terry moran, abc news, washington. >> for all the people talking about reform right now, background checks, strengthening

that system right now, absolutely a part of it. and closing that gun show loophole. you have to believe they'll be part of whatever final package emerges. >> what wonderful work this young man is doing. he's an ambassador for peace. >> turning tragedy into a legitimate cause. that's admirable. we'll be back. we'll be back. [ female announcer ] what does the anti-aging power of olay total effects

plus the perfecting color of a bb cream equal? introducing the newest beauty trend. total effects cc cream c for color. c for correction. [ female announcer ] fight 7 signs of aging flawlessly. cc what's possible. ♪ ♪ oh i need someone to read me stories ♪ ♪ oh, someone to turn the page with the past few weeks gridlocked on capitol hill, lawmakers took a rather unusual step yesterday. >> they took a break from their work to go to the movies, together. the senators were hoping for a little inspiration in leadership and more importantly, in bipartisanship. abc's sunlen miller has more. >> reporter: actor daniel day

lewis plays lincoln in the movie and director steven spielberg watches with senators. >> it was a great honor to be invited here by senator reid and to be ready to, you know, run the film and see both sides sitting in the same room watching a president who put the people out in front of the abyss. >> reporter: this congress is also facing their own abyss. while both republicans and democrats watched the movie, the clock ticked closer to their year-end deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff. the parallels were not lost on some. >> i hope everybody will go out there and see "lincoln." the movie portrays the nobility of politics in exactly the right way.

>> reporter: and inviting members, the senate leaders said now is as good a time as any for senators to remember their priorities. some already heard the message. >> if you see the movie "lincoln," you saw even back then they were battling for months at a time in order to convince each other to go one way or another. since when has it been a problem to have vibrant debate in the united states senate? in this great chamber? since when? what is everybody ascared about? >> reporter: and many hope it will finally close the curtain on this long debate. but the movie was all in good fun and snacks were served, a special rules committee had to approve a waiver to allow senators to eat popcorn inside. sunlen miller, abc news at the capital. >> you need popcorn. >> i think most people watching would say, get back to work first. that's what you don't see behind closed doors. >> that's right. they do need to let me into the senate. they need to let me into the senate. i would get stuff moving. >> put that picture up again.

you know what i love about that? it looks like you and boehner could be related. >> thank you. thank you, rob. nk you. thank you, rob.

this morning on "world news now" -- travel nightmare. the blinding whiteout conditions bring danger to busy roads and strand airline travelers. >> this morning's watches, warnings, and how they could impact your holiday travel plans. it's thursday, december 20th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning. i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> hi, everybody. i'm rob nelson. we'll check in with accuweather in just a second, as those storms move east this morning. and then on capitol hill, a political storm. what the speaker of the house

plans to do today to avoid that fiscal cliff and how the white house is already speaking out against it. >> oh, my, my. here we go again. >> how many days left, fellas? we've got to move to the middle at some point. and also this morning, the viral video that captivated the world. you see an eagle. he appears to be a kidnapper. we'll show you why this is nothing but a hoax, and a lesson not to believe everything you see on the internet. and i will say, i called it yesterday, did i not? >> yes, you did. i think that's a lesson most folks -- >> i'm a curmudgeon. what can i say? >> most folks already knew not to believe everything you see on the internet. but it's good that we're proving it yet again. later, something mike strahan refuses to do even though he's been asked about it so often. well have details on that coming up later. always funny to me. look at the size difference of those two. she looks like a kindergartner compared to him. >> but they're magical together. >> they work really well

together. he's had a nice start. so a whole new chapter in that show. good to see that. but first, millions of americans dashing through the snow while a monster storm is pummeling a broad section of the country this morning. >> more than a foot is piling up in the heartland with winter storm watches posted in 14 states and drivers are facing zero visibility. our coverage begins with abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: it's beginning to look a lot like winter. plows are busy from arizona to the midwest. blizzard warnings from colorado to wisconsin. in texas, one person was killed in a multi car highway pileup near lubbock in near zero visibility. in utah, search and rescue teams were called to an avalanche near park city, but searchers say no one was trapped. >> one cancellation, two delays. missed one plane by three minutes. >> reporter: as holiday travel gets under way, more than a foot of snow is expected to blanket cities like des moines and green bay.

>> a lot of unexpected wind and a lot of snow. but it's nice out here right now. >> reporter: up and down the west coast, it's cleanup time. wild wind storms took out huge trees from washington to southern california. garcon martinez was in this truck. he's lucky to be alive. >> i seen it was pretty windy and my truck was rattling a little bit. but i never expected a tree to fall on me. >> reporter: high winds knocked out power at the happiest place on earth, putting disneyland in the dark as the cold moved in. should we blame you for this? >> you're going to blame santa this close to christmas? where is my naughty list? >> reporter: the storm is now headed east, and places like chicago, which hasn't seen a significant snowstorm yet this season, is now look at anywhere from three to six inches of snow. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. first, one major airline hub, denver, then another, chicago.

>> let's check in with accuweather's jim dickey, who has been tracking the storm. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and sunny. snow winding down here in across kansas and nebraska. but the damage has been done. winds still gusty. so the snow on the ground will continue to blow around. blizzard conditions continuing here and many roads will remain closed as we track through the early morning hours, as we track through today. all of this will move into iowa and up into wisconsin, where snow will stay heavy through the day. wind-driven snowfall here. whiteout conditions in many spots. again, those roadways dangerous to be out and about today. along with the slippery roads, near zero visibility with that heavy snow. as far as accumulation, 6 to 12 inches expected from this storm. locally higher than a foot across wisconsin. rob and sunny, back to you. >> jim, thank you. and now to that storm brewing in washington. of course, we've been talking about it for seems like 15 years or so. the fiscal cliff.

>> house speaker john boehner's so-called "plan b" up for mostly a symbolic vote today. we're joined by karen travers. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, sunny. yesterday, president obama went on and on and on about the fiscal cliff, while house speaker john boehner spoke for less than a minute. but it was clear from both of their remarks, there's no deal in sight. just when it seemed like the white house and house speaker john boehner were moving towards a middle ground, negotiations on the fiscal cliff hit a wall. visibly angry, boehner spoke to reporters for less than a minute. >> i hope the president will get serious soon about providing and working with us on a balanced approach. >> reporter: the latest white house offer extends the bush tax cuts for every american earning less than $400,000 a year, up from the original offer of $250,000. president obama said his proposal and boehner's are only a few hundred billion dollars, yes, billion, apart. >> the idea that we would put

our economy at risk because you can't bridge that gap doesn't make a lot of sense. >> reporter: boehner says the house will move forward on his plan "b." that would extend the bush tax cuts for everyone making less than $1 million. >> the house will pass legislation to make permanent tax relief for nearly every american, 99.81% of the american people. >> reporter: a senior administration official said plan b is a waste of time. >> what i wouldn't do was hurt vulnerable families only to pay for a tax cut for somebody like me. >> he can call on the senate democrats to pass that bill or he can be responsible for the largest tax increase in american history. >> reporter: both sides insist that negotiations continue behind the scenes, but they're running out of time to reach a deal. if no agreement is reached by tomorrow, president obama will have to delay his hawaiian holiday vacation. rob and sunny, back to you. a top state department official is expected to face tough questions on capitol hill

today about the benghazi attack. secretary of state clinton had been scheduled to testify at the hearing, but she's still recovering from a concussion. instead, her deputy, william burns, will be there. a scathing report blamed the state department for the attack and four top staffers have been relieved of their duties. >> and one clarification to make on that. all four officials remain as employees, but have been relieved of their current duties, but they're still employees of the state department for right now, pending further action. so they just weren't shown the door. it seems like they've been removed from their current job. and while they investigate. >> that makes sense, because given the report, i mean, you've got the deputy assistant secretary responsible for embassy security. you can't keep that job if something like this happens on your watch. you've got another person, assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security. >> the bottom line, that report

seemed to me to be that there wasn't enough security and requests for additional security were essentially ignored. >> they were ignored. >> so they said there were systemic failures in the department. they didn't blame any one person. they said the system is messed up and hopefully hillary clinton will make good on her word and take their 29 recommendations. >> people died. >> exactly. in other news, vice president joe biden holds the first in a series of meetings today over new gun control policy. biden is meeting with top law enforcement officials from around the country. the task force led by biden will also look at ways to increase mental health resources and also consider steps to keep society from glamorizing both guns and violence. a tall order. findings expected within a month. and there will be another wave of grief in newtown today, with more victims being remembered at memorials and funerals. yesterday, a long line of firefighters was at the memorial for daniel barden, who dreamed of becoming a new york city firefighter. hundreds of people waited in

lines to pay their respects to sandy hook principal dawn hochsprung, who, of course, died, as she protected her students. just this endless line of funerals. just to see the grief there. >> there have been so many. with 26 victims, i assume we still have some more to go. >> oh, yeah. not done just yet. a few more days of this. i heard of something awful. not to change the mood too much. i pulled this up, too. there was a fake website out there that was raising money for one of the deceased little boys and it came to the family's attention. and they obviously were outraged and rightfully reported to it police. >> it was noah pozner. the 6-year-old little boy. >> before you donate to anything, folks, make sure it's legit, because there is scum out there that would take advantage even of a tragedy like this. >> scam artists. >> so don't believe everything on the internet. >> despicable yet again. >> be careful what you donate to. just make sure it's legit, that's all. >> now a special offering from

one of the nation's best elementary school choruses. they are fifth graders at public school 22 in staten island, new york. you've probably heard of them before. >> they're great. there are videos on youtube getting tens of millions of views and the latest offering is a moving rendition of the sandy hook elementary school song. take a listen. ♪ as many this school will forever ♪ ♪ andy hook has a history >> that is something. >> hearing those little voices again. seeing scenes like that, seeing how "saturday night live" opened their show this last weekend, there's something nice about being reminded of the innocence of kids in light of what was taken from kids in newtown this week. so nice to see that. well done, kids. we'll be back right after this.

♪ three cheers for the green and the white ♪ ♪ the sandy hook school will forever ♪ ♪ ♪ it's so important to make someone happy ♪

when you give a child a toy, it has to work. ♪ make just one someone happy and when it's a toys for tots child, well, what could be more important? so this year, every hasbro toy donated to toys for tots will be powered by duracell. happy holidays. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

♪ and i get on my knees and pray we don't get fools again ♪ welcome back, everyone. in the past few days, millions of people watched the youtube video that was actually pretty frightening. >> it was. it showed a giant golden eagle

swooping down into a park, picking up a baby, and dropping the baby a few feet away. and it seemed too amazing to be true. and it was. abc's sharyn alfonsi reports. >> reporter: millions of us watched it. a golden eagle swooped in and picks up a toddler. >> oh, [ bleep ]! >> reporter: millions of people wondering, is it real? word is that it's an internet hoax, the work of animation students in montreal. part of a school project. while most of us saw a visually convincing video, some animators across the country were quick to yell fake. but we wanted to know what did they see that we didn't? watch again. clue number one, the eagle's wings. all of a sudden they disappear mid flight. watch. here and then gone. clue number two, the eagle's shadow. it appears out of nowhere. watch again. students from the school produce internet hoaxes every year. remember this escaped penguin? that was them.

these miniature flying cars, too. they're proud of their work, showing us how they made this little girl float away, picking her up behind a green screen. which could be how they made this toddler take flight. and then there's clue number three. that golden eagle is not a golden eagle. in fact, bird experts say it's not the kind of bird that would be found anywhere in north america, proving to the students you can fool some of the people some of the time, but if you want to fool all of the people, you might need a few more classes. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> it was a pretty well done video. i didn't believe it. >> i'm glad we spent network resources getting to the bottom of that. everyone, sleep soundly tonight. coming up next, something michael strahan refuses to do and why. >> and the final chapter of a reality tv show that held so many viewers spellbound, next in "the skinny."

>> announcer: "world news now"

♪ skinny, so skinny welcome back, everybody. can't believe it's been more than a year now since regis left his morning talk show. michael strahan, of course, took over. they're doing a great job.

seems like he and kelly get along, great stuff over here, just around the corner from us, even though we've never been invited. >> i want to go. >> you've been there, haven't you? >> no. >> i thought you worked out with kelly. >> well, i know kelly. but i want to go. i've never been to the show, come to think of it. >> she's a jersey native like me. hook me up. >> i'll try. >> michael strahan gave an interview to "elle" magazine and talked about that famous gap-toothed smile and he said, i was close to giving it up. i was at the dentist and i thought about it. i made the conscious effort to say this is who i am. i'm not perfect. i don't want to try to be perfect. that's why he's not going to change it. >> that's the wrong decision. >> okay, sunny. all right. that's the wrong decision? >> it's the wrong decision. >> what are you talking about? >> it looks terrible. it's just terrible. he's got to get it fixed!

bobbi kristina has to get hers fixed. madonna has to get hers fixed. michael strahan has to get his fixed. they all have to get them fixed. >> i don't think so. >> get them fixed! >> i don't think so. >> look, they all have gone on to great careers. even lauren hutton, a famous model. >> she needs to get hers fixed, too! >> moving along. >> i don't think so! >> you skup set willis. he's so upset he actually woke up. talking about things that just can't be fixed -- this is going to be good news for some. sad news for others. tim tebow, camilla belle, they broke up. >> oh, no! >> they broke up! after less than two months of dating, they broke up. we don't know why, but he remains a devout christian who says he plans to remain a virgin until marriage. i don't know if that has

anything to do with the lady problems. but he's also having problems with the jets. the jets made the decision to bench mark sanchez, but they went to the 7th round, 2011 pick to start. so he got passed over for that, too. >> he's had a rough year. i feel bad for him in a ways. put him in, why not? can't do any worse than sanchez. >> they're paying him a lot of money. >> no kidding. he goes from a star in denver to nothing on the jets. he's had it rough. i'm sure he'll find another lovely young lady soon. we cannot let this cultural milestone pass without acknowledgement. tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern after six seasons in three years, "the jersey shore" series finale will air tonight. >> yea! yea! >> and you are so sad about this ending. >> jersey is my home state. i thought these kids were endlessly entertaining. don't laugh at them, because they've gone on to make millions of dollars. laugh all you want. there are spinoffs, they'll do well. but look -- all kinds of stuff. >> but it was an awful show. awful!

>> most of these kids were not from new jersey. they were from other areas. keep that in mind. >> just as bad as michael strahan's gapped tooth. >> that's awful. >> just bad. >> michael and kelly, call her. i love y'all. i'll fill in one day. >> fix it. just fix it. >> oh, come on, now. >> fix it. >> brutal today. brutal. he's still making that money. he's still making that money. he's still making that money.

♪ ♪ oh mickey you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind hey mickey, hey mickey ♪ mr. strahan? yes, yes. no, it wasn't me. >> get it fixed! >> i'm going to pass on her cell number. thank you, michael. love you, bro. >> i will take you. i will go with you. >> cheerleading is about more than just wearing a really short skirt and a big smile. you also have to be a good speller. >> actually rob, you might be surprised. >> really? >> cheerleaders these days are pretty amazing athletes and fierce competitors.

abc's juju chang has more. >> reporter: it takes flipping out to a whole new level. >> oh! >> if you fall again, i'm going to replace you. >> reporter: tlc's new show, "cheer perfection," brings us inside the rough and tumble world of competitive cheerleading. >> that's the worst basket toss i've ever seen in my life. that was terrible, absolutely terrible. >> reporter: alicia dunlap is head coach and co-owner of cheer time revolution in arkansas. it's her job to make little girls into little champions, no matter what it takes. >> come down. everybody run because of cameron and cassidy. >> reporter: even her own daughters can't escape alicia's rather intense form of tough love. >> i try to be tough and strong and i try to be a leader. hard work and effort pays off. >> reporter: but she's not the only mom pushing her child to pompom perfection. bonnie is determined to make her daughter a star on the squad.

you bribed her $1,000 to do backflips. what were you thinking? >> i just wanted to encourage her to do better. and i thought that would -- but people bribe their kids all the time. my daughter loves cheer, it's something she wants to do. >> are you having issues? >> reporter: like most mother-daughter situations, there seems to be a slight difference of opinion. do any of your parents push you? to do things you don't want to do? >> yes. >> are the moms acting like they're in high school? >> they're worse than the girls at my school. >> reporter: why? whether they like it or not, it's hard to deny that these girls can ra-ra-rock. i'm juju chang in arkansas. >> that's all well and good as long as the adults don't get too crazy. >> remember in texas that one mother tried to put a hit on the other? >> oh, yeah. >> on the other mom. >> look at that. look at the jazz hands. look at you. >> look at him. >> looking good. look at you. you've got to be like that girl on "saturday night live."

she was like, superstar. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news

this morning on "world news now" -- taking aim. the president launches his plan to confront deadly gun violence today. >> and he gives his marching orders to congress, the pro gun lobby and today, the police. it's thursday, december 20th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. the firearm debate is once again front and center. nearly a week since the newtown tragedy. and in light of that shooting, we'll take you to a school that could be, could be the safest in

the country. >> all week, abc has been devoting coverage to solutions to the gun violence and school security issues around the country. this is fascinating, that particular school, the lengths that they go to. we may be able to learn something from that school. also this morning, from one major airline hub to another, a strong winter storm system blasted denver and now headed to, yep, the windy city of chicago. the blinding whiteout conditions and how this storm could have a ripple effect on your travel plans as we get closer to christmas. later this half hour, the doomsday business. special, custom-built bunkers for people who really do believe they can survive the end of the world in comfort. >> wow. tomorrow, the mayan calendar, 12-21-12, it could all be over tomorrow. it's been a pleasure. i'll see you in whatever life comes after this. it's been real. i'm looking forward to it. i need the sleep. so let it happen. >> i'm with you this week.

but first, the white house is taking the first steps toward a new policy to reduce gun violence around the country. >> results from a new task force are expected to be on the president's desk in just a few weeks. with more details, here's abc's jake tapper. >> reporter: the president promised action. >> i will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. we won't prevent them all, but that can't be an excuse not to try. >> reporter: he pledged that his administration will look at the mental health, education, cultural, and gun control aspects of this tragedy. and to head the effort, he appointed vice president biden. an author of the 1994 crime bill, which contained a ban on some semiautomatic rifles. the team will report back by next month, the president said. the president hopes to capitalize from this national moment, when even some pro-gun rights democrats are calling for change. he demanded congress take real

action right now. ban the sale of high capacity ammunition clips, close the so-called gun show loophole that does not require background checks in many private sales. and ban the sale of what he called military-style assault weapons. >> if we're going to change things, it's going to take a wave of americans, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, and yes, gun owners, standing up and saying enough, on behalf of our kids. >> reporter: the white house vaguely defines military-style assault weapons as those that can fire hundreds of rounds in minutes. for perspective, this is an m-16 automatic rifle. it's generally illegal to the public. it can fire continuously. [ gun fire [ with one pull of the trigger, the bullets come nonstop. 30 rounds in two seconds. this gun, an ar-15, is legal and very popular. it looks similar to the m-16 on the outside, but it's semi-automatic.

one bullet gets fired per pull of the trigger. so this legal version takes 10 to 15 seconds to fire off 30 rounds adding up to potentially hundreds of rounds in minutes. on thursday, vice president biden will meet with law enforcement officials and the fraternal order of police supports reinstating that ban on semi-automatic krifls rifles that vice president biden wrote in 1994, but the law expired in 2004. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> joe biden's task force has a lot to get to in just about a month. the president wants something by the end of january. and the brady campaign to prevent gun violence released the first in a series of public service announcements. you're going to see the winds of public sentiment get even further whipped up here. and then obviously people -- i think this is a fair point. beyond gun control, the mental health issue is a big component of this. someone said what is the deal under obama care with mental health? the act, when it goes into

effect, will change what service will be available to individuals that have mental health and addiction disorders, various provisions with also require benefit packages that include treatment for mental health services. so there is something in obama care that hopefully will widen the net for mental health deficiencies in this country. >> it's such a watershed moment of what happened. i think now finally the time is ripe where people can get behind gun legislation and biden obviously is the person -- the right person to head it, because he's the one that wrote the assault ban laws in '94. >> and don't forget, the nra having their press conference tomorrow. should be fascinating what they have to say. and, you know, kind of how their words are chosen tomorrow. >> we'll see. one senator's plan calls for using the national guard to beef up security at the nation's schools. democrat barbara boxer wants money set aside for the nation's governors to call in the national guard to help school

patrols. she also wants a $30 million annual grant for campus security increased to $50 million to buy more metal detectors and other school security needs. >> and part of the program may be able to fund the entire thing through the federal government. if school leaders and state leaders so choose, there will be federal money to finance that thing, but people say do we want to turn our schools into police states? that's the thing. >> i don't think it will save a child's life. we have to do something. we have to do something. but the other thing is, we don't know where this type of thing could happen. because it happens in our inner cities. but now it's also happening in newtown, connecticut. >> that's the lesson that came out of this. there are no geographic or socioeconomic or racial boundaries to violence in america. it is an american problem. it's bigger than those issues. so we'll see what they do in january. that's for sure. and history is being made later today in the u.s. senate.

maryland democrat barbara mikulski will become the first woman to head the appropriations committee, which controls the nation's purse strings. she's the longest serving female member of congress. she spent ten years in the house before being elected to the senate. parents will soon have greater control over the personal information that can be collected from preteens on the internet. the ftc just enacted broader online privacy rules. personal information about kids under the age of 13 may not be released without parental permission. that includes the child's location, any images, or recordings. the rules are extended to users of smartphones or tablets. and crews are working overnight to clear what's left from a deadly pileup that closed a major road on long island, new york. a 68-year-old woman was killed and 33 others injured in the crash. it's believed that a semi truck caused the pileup by slamming into a number of cars. the truck burst into flames. it was carrying away debris from hurricane sandy.

a dangerous snowmaker that slammed the rockies is headed to the midwest and great lakes. blizzard warnings have been posted in eight states this morning. omaha, des moines, and green bay and other cities are in the cross hairs, expecting up to a foot of snow. many schools are closed today. drivers are being warned to stay off the roads. we have more on all of this from abc's ginger zee. >> reporter: this may be a preview of your holiday travel -- frustration. that's because in denver, the wild winds are sending snow sideways. in texas, the storms kicked up enormous dust storms that caused 16 accidents and shut down one highway. it's all part of a monster winter storm hitting as holiday travelers are starting to move. at the denver international airport, plows were on the runways but weren't able to keep up. lines building as dozens of flights were canceled. >> i'm coming home from college.

so i'm just trying to get back home. >> reporter: in monument, colorado, it was near whiteout on the highway. and 50 cars piled up on slick roads in northern california. >> we're not certain whether or not a small snowstorm or hailstorm precipitated this ice formation. >> reporter: it's amazing to think in the next 24 hours, from here to parts of wisconsin, they'll have at least a foot of snow in some places, some places more. and you'll have those 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts, 3 to 5-foot drifts. all going to make for havoc on the roadways and the air as the holidays get ready to go. ginger zee, abc news, des moines, iowa. >> and here's the rest of your thursday forecast, everybody. rain in chicago, detroit and indianapolis. eventually changing to the white stuff. thunderstorms from the ohio valley down to knoxville. severe storms from new orleans to the carolinas. heavy rain and mountain snow in the northwest. >> 40s from seattle to billings. 12 degrees in fargo. 20s from minneapolis to kansas city. 40s for the rest of the midwest and northeast.

and some glamour and history this morning. the long wait for an american miss universe is over. >> that's because 20-year-old olivia culpa of rhode island won the title just last night. she's 20 years old, uh-huh, a sophomore at boston university, and she calls herself a cellist nerd. >> oh, my. culpo is the first miss universe winner from the usa since 1997. she won the title despite a slight slip in the evening gown competition. her poised recovery must have helped. because she was almost fashion road kill there. >> well done to the panel. well done. >> do you like her? >> a fine, fine choice. >> fine choice. >> and she has nice teeth, too. >> no gap. >> who knew? >> there's no gap there.

oh, my gosh. >> all right, rhode island. i got to go visit there. coming up, a new kind of fast food wrapper you don't want to toss in the trash. and surviving the apocalypse in comfort and style. the increasing demand for swanky bunkers. you're watching "world news now." ♪ it ended when i lost your love i wake up in the morning ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by no-no hair removal. [ male announcer ] playing in the nfl is tough.

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detectors in big city schools. >> but lately the face of school security is changing. now small towns and suburban areas are rethinking school security. abc's alex perez has the story. >> reporter: the security measures at middleton elementary school in suburban chicago begin the moment you set foot on campus with the ringing of this doorbell. once in, you can only get as far as the entryway. the front desk then takes my i.d., scans it and performs an instant criminal background check using a security system using raptor, one that's spread to 8,000 schools across the country. after you pass a second set of locked doors and enter the school, your every move is watched. on monitors in the front office and by administrators on their smartphones. the superintendent and security consultant have invested more than $175,000 over the last two years, beefing up security at the three schools that make up

this tiny district in skokie, illinois. >> i don't know if there's too big a price tag to put on keeping your kids as safe as they can be. >> reporter: prevention is the key, classroom doors open inward and lock from the inside, eliminating the need to step out of the room if there's a threat in the hallway. and when seconds mean precious young lives like these fourth graders in dara's class, she says the extra security is worth it. >> i think anything we have to do we have to do. >> reporter: and this school district isn't done yet. after sandy hook, they are now considering installing bullet resistant glass. >> too often we hear we're not going to be able to afford it. and the truth of it is what we really cannot afford is a terrible incident. >> reporter: alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> all of that. >> i'm all for it. >> makes sense to me. >> especially the doors. >> it all makes sense to me. >> the doors. >> the doors and the bullet-proof glass and the

background check when you walk in. >> i love what he said, we cannot afford to have just one child lost, we can't afford it anymore. we never could. >> the issue is, if they can afford it. certainly, you know, we'll see. still to come, we don't know if the world is going to end tomorrow. but some folks are very ready just in case. >> up next, the strategic structures that so-called "doomsday preppers" are hoping will help them ride out the storm. you're watching "world news now."

>> this could be the beginning of the end for the human race. what men first thought were meteors or the often-ridiculed d asteroids are in reality, the invasion from mars. >> with any luck that will not be the scene here on earth tomorrow.

nasa has gone on record saying it is confident the world will still be around come saturday. >> you probably heard the mayan calendar ends on december 21st. many believe the world will end along with it. now you can see for yourself. >> the slew space camera, a global network of telescopes, will offer live web streams of images of space. using telescopes from arizona and the canary islands, you can see images of the solar system to keep an eye out for astroids and any other possible threats from outer space. >> possible, possible. >> and if that astroid comes crashing into earth or some other calamity happens to befall our planet, there are those who will survive. probably willis. >> you got that right! >> that's because they planned ahead by building bunkers, as abc's david wright reports. >> reporter: in a warehouse east of l.a., they're busy building for doomsday. >> this is it. >> reporter: this is the atlas survival shelter, the ultimate man cave. only it doesn't go anywhere.

it's built to be very deep underground. how many of these things are you selling? >> last year it was one a month. then it was one a week. then since december, it went to one a day. >> reporter: this is one of a growing number of companies now catering to catastrophes. selling real estate from $100,000 to millions of dollars. >> this is going to protect us against nuclear, biological, chemical attacks, tornadoes. >> reporter: it's definitely helped business that an ancient mayan prophecy predicts this friday may mark some sort of global expiration date. lots of people are projecting modern anxieties over that ancient mayan date. that the financial system might collapse. or the global warming. or solar flairs. or an act of terrorism might take out the nation's electrical grid.

doomsday prepping is such a fad, there are popular reality shows based on it. of course, plenty of 2012ers are not so negative about the mayan prophecy. in mexico, we met star mozer, who plans to be at the mayan ruins friday, praying to her crystal skull. she believes this will mark the dawn of a new, more enlightened age. others, not so much. >> i'll be in my shelter in texas, just in case. >> reporter: just in case? >> just in case. i would feel really silly that i went and put a nice shelter underground and i wasn't in it come december 21st. >> reporter: right after that, he plans to come straight back to l.a. to build more. david wright, abc news, montebello, california. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what do you think will happen as the mayan calendar ends? logon to our facebook page to weigh in. wnn fans.com. >> are you ready, sunny? have you made any preparations? >> i don't know if i want to survive if the planet is going to be blown up. >> you come out of your bunker

and you're like -- >> just go with everyone else. a doomsday brew. >> exactly. have a cold one. go out gracefully. go out happy. make it count. make the last second count if it ends tomorrow. if i go in one of those things, i would want miss rhode island with me. it ends tomorrow. i would want miss rhode island with me. [ cat 1 ] i am not a vegetarian...

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meow. ♪ welcome back, everybody. a few years ago, this company developed something they call wiki cells, which basically is an edible form of packaging for food that takes on the flavor of the food that it is protecting. so now there's this burger chain in brazil, called bobs, that's introduced an ad campaign that features edible wrappers for its burgers. so literally, you eat the burger with the wrapping on it and it's totally safe according to the company that makes this stuff. so for those of you too busy to unwrap the burger, you can eat the wrapping, too.

and there are two u.s. companies trying to bring the same kind of packaging here to the u.s. again, this is in brazil. right now, believe it or not, there's an ice cream business in l.a. where they serve ice cream sandwiches in edible wrappers. >> i like that. sometimes you can't get the wrapper off and you eat the paper any way. >> so there you go. >> so if it's tasty paper, why not just eat it? >> our laziness as a nation and culture has no bounds. >> it's not lazy. it's not lazy. >> are you kidding me? >> who hasn't done that? >> accidently. >> eaten some paper. >> you go ahead, then. get a legal pad and have a nice dinner. >> any way. i love this next thing. it shows president obama's lighter side. he's dealt with so many tragedies during this week and just during his presidency. we have an intimate photograph taken by a white house photographer, pete susa, showing

the president just joking around with one of his staffer's children. he turns the corner and confronts spiderman and then pretends to be ensnared by a web. i just think that's wonderful. it shows that he's a dad. >> it's always good to see presidents in a humanizing context. they're still regular men doing their thing. certainly you're much kinder to the president today than you were to the first lay did yesterday. just saying. >> that was a flattering photo. >> look online and you'll see what we're talking about. apparently, the world is ending tomorrow. the mayan calendar. nasa is getting 200 calls a day. calls and e-mails coming in. >> why call nasa? >> they have posted this video, already posted in early preparation of the world not ending to calm people down. take a listen to nasa's video calming folks down. >> if you're watch thing video, it means one thing. the world didn't end yesterday. a team of experts recently gathered --

>> they put this thing out to let everyone know, hey, it's okay. called "why the world didn't end yesterday." the official release date is the 22nd. on saturday. but it's already out there for those that need to watch it. just relax.

this morning on "world news now" -- enough's enough. the president puts his action plan against gun violence to work later today. >> after the newtown massacre nearly a week ago, the focus on gun control and saving lives takes more aim. it's thursday, december 20th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. we'll explain what's next in the gun control debate in our top story. and then, a survivor of the virginia tech shootings puts his frightening experience to work

undercover. his message and his unique way of delivering it. >> if anyone knows, he would. having survived one tragedy, now speaking out on another. also this morning, the fallout from the attack on benghazi, libya. the consulate there. who is losing their jobs now after a key report is released. and who will not attend some high-level meeting about the issue on capitol hill later today? you had to imagine after that scathing report yesterday -- >> heads were going to roll. >> yes, and now there are four heads that have rolled. we'll get to that in a second. and later, the spirit of bipartisanship hitting capitol hill on movie night. lawmakers set aside their differences to watch a film that could teach today's elected officials a thing or two. >> let's hope they maybe take some of lincoln's lessons to heart behind closed doors with this fiscal cliff issue. because, tick tock, right? >> i've got to tell you, that was a fantastic movie. i don't know if you've seen it

yet. >> i'm dying to see it. i'm trying to go this weekend. >> academy award written all over it. >> daniel day lewis is a shoo-in, right? >> it's over. no one else needs to show up. >> you heard it here first. five days after the newtown tragedy, the president is pledging quick action on a new gun control policy for the country. the president has named vice president joe biden to head a commission, or a task force he's saying, not really a commission, he wants this task force to really look into the issue and turn around action pretty quickly on it. >> and joe biden meets today with police officers on the front lines of gun violence. with more, we're joined by abc's t.j. winick in newtown, connecticut. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. president obama, of course, gave his administration orders to come up with new proposals to curb gun violence in the wake of last week's deadly shootings here in connecticut. ♪ amazing grace how sweet >> reporter: the tributes in newtown and neighboring communities continued with song and prayer.

earlier, some of the students of sandy hook elementary visited their new school for the first time. police officers showed them their new classrooms, meticulously arranged to resemble the ones they left behind. but as the community tries to move forward, four more funerals. more than 100 firefighters, many from new york city, stood at attention outside the service for daniel barden, the 7-year-old who wanted to grow up to be one of them. >> very upsetting that these young kids had their lives taken away from them so early. they had so much more to live for, so much more to give to the world. >> reporter: also laid to rest, 27-year-old teacher victoria soto, who saved so many of her children. her sister, jillian, said, you've been a hero to me for a lot longer than five days, she said. you've been my big sister. the one i've always looked up to. meantime in washington, president obama started laying out his road map that he says needs to change gun violence in america and a culture that glorifies guns and violence. >> i will use all the powers of this office to help advance

efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. we won't prevent them all. but that can't be an excuse not to try. >> reporter: vice president joe biden will lead that gun violence task force, which will give its recommendations to the president in january. rob and sunny? >> thank you, t.j. again, the president made a point of saying yes, look, this is not a commission where we're going to study this for 20 years. they have until the end of january to get something done. so that's fast turnaround, considering how much is on their plate. >> and what's fascinating is people are so concerned about gun regulation that now they're just flying off the shelves. so at walmart, all these guns or semi-automatic rifles are just flying off the shelves. apparently one store in particular had the best sales yesterday, more than $1 million in sales since the store opened in 1959. that's the hyatt gun shop in charlotte, north carolina.

>> it's funny. it's almost like folks, like the big unenthusiasts around the country, it's almost like a hurricane is coming. and you go to your drugstore or your grocery store and you can't find bottled water or batteries. people are making the same run on guns. the president talked about the culture that glorifies violence. legislative measures that would be taken and a big issue, mental health resources which were expanded in obama care. or the affordable care act, as it's formally known. but a lot on the plate to do, and basically a month to do it. so joe biden's plate is full, that's for sure. well, public good-byes began in washington for hawaii senator daniel inouye, who died this week. his body will lie in state in the capital rotunda today. his final journey to hawaii will take place this weekend with a sunday service at the national memorial cemetery of the pacific. he represented hawaii in the senate for half a century. also on capitol hill, with talks on how to avoid the fiscal cliff now at an impasse, the

house votes today on what republicans are calling "plan b." that's house speaker boehner's proposal that will raise taxes on people making more than $1 million. it's a plan that's already drawn a veto threat from the white house. even if it passes the house today, democrats say it will not pass the senate. the stalemate has both sides once again expressing some frustration. >> i hope the president will get serious soon about providing and working with us on a balanced approach. >> what i wouldn't do was hurt vulnerable families, only to pay for a tax cut for somebody like me. >> despite those sharpening barbs, both sides say negotiations continue behind the scenes. if there is no deal by friday, president obama plans to delay his hawaiian holiday vacation. >> sure he's thrilled about that. >> i would call the airline now, mr. president. call air force one. get that done, too. an interesting moment during that press conference where he kind of laid bare the politics.

saying i'm not quite sure whether it's the proposal they don't like or whether some folks in the republican party, maybe the tea party, just can't say yes to me, means -- >> which was fast nating. >> -- you really don't hear them talk nakedly like that. but take off your partisan war paint and let's get this done for the good of the country. interesting comment from the president. >> i thought that was very interesting as well. >> we'll see where it goes. tick tock, folks. about two-thirds of american taxpayers may face delays if congress does not take action by the end of the year on tax policy. the irs estimates 100 million taxpayers may have to wait until march to file their tax returns if congress does not adjust the alternative minimum tax by december 31st. when congress adjusts the tax rate, the irs computer systems need time-consuming changes that can take weeks or months. "time" magazine has named -- guess what? president obama as its person of the year.

a "time" editor says, we're in the mist of historic and cultural demographic changes. and president obama is both the symbol, and if some ways the architect, of this new america. others who had been considered for the honor, apple ceo tim cook and egypt's new president, mohamed morsi. we turn to the fallout from that report that blamed poor management at the state department for the deadly attack in benghazi. four staffers have been officially relieved of their duties, including eric boswell, assistant secretary for diplomatic security. his deputy, charlene lamb, responsible for embassy security. and an official from near east affairs. >> frankly, the state department had not given benghazi the security, both physical and personnel resources, it needed. >> hearings on the benghazi issue continue on capitol hill today. but secretary of state hillary clinton will not be there. she's still recovering from a concussion. her testimony is expected next

month. a giant blizzard is blowing across the middle of the country this morning, dumping up to a foot of snow from kansas to wisconsin. as gusty winds kick up, whiteout conditions have cars sliding off roads in nebraska. and long stretches of two major highways, interstate 70 and 80, had to be shut down. visibility was so low, 600 flights had to be canceled in and out of denver. crews were working overtime to deice planes and clear runways. passengers were stuck there for hours. >> and this storm is impacting a very wide region this morning. >> that's right. for the latest, let's go to jim dickey at accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and sunny. a powerful area of low pressure will bring blizzard conditions across the upper midwest. as we head on through the day, watch out in eastern iowa through wisconsin. wind-driven snow, winds in excess of 50, 60 miles an hour and gusts drop visibility near

zero. so dangerous to be on the roadways. when all is said and done, they're looking for a swath of 6 to 12 inches. rob and sunny, back to you. >> thanks a lot, jim. and now, are you ready? because beer is involved in our what? "favorite story of the day" today. it takes us to akron, ohio, where the thirsty dog brewing company has created mayan last dog beer. i like it. >> and it's a chocolate stout brewed with honey and cocoa nibs, which the brewmaster calls a superfood. they say surprisingly it has a chocolatey flavor and you can also taste the honey. >> looks good. and, of course, all of this is to celebrate the end of the mayan calendar tomorrow. but if the apocalypse doesn't come, they'll keep brewing it any way. >> it does sound delicious. but my question is, the end of the world. hasn't it come a couple of times already? this is like the fourth or fifth ending of the world and we're still here.

>> we're still rolling, you know? >> i mean, if it's going to come, you might as well have some chocolatey, honey beer. >> why not go out happy. a nice little buzz, you're full. >> it's all good. >> tomorrow, maybe we'll see you back here, maybe not. who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? as long as it's friday. just make sure that check clears before the world blows up. coming up next, the movie that got democrats and republicans together -- you saw the clip already -- in the same room last night. and stealing christmas right there in front of someone's front yard. this grinch is meeting justice. you're watching "world news now." ♪ you really are a heel ♪ you're a cuddly as a cactus you're as charming as an eel ♪ ♪ mr. grinch you're a bad banana with a ♪ 're a bad banana with a ♪ it's time to change the way we clean.

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welcome back, everybody. welcome back, everybody. abuse of marijuana and some prescription drugs is up among teens, according to a new federal survey. nearly 7% of high school seniors told the national institute on drug abuse they smoke pot daily. five years ago that number was 5%. now nearly 8% of teens admit to abusing the prescription stimulant adderall, which treats attention deficit disorder. that is up from three years ago. and a new study finds there may be a link between aspirin

and a rare form of blindness. people who frequently use aspirin may be at a higher risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for old people. people across the country are being warned to watch out for grinches preying on their presents. surveillance video from a south florida home captured two thieves stealing a family's presents right off their front porch. the couple actually pulls into oscar sosa's driveway and takes the boxes that u.p.s. just dropped off. >> the holidays, you know, people tend to be more giving and stuff like that. and instead, there's people taking advantage of situations like that. >> thanks to the video, jorge and gloria perez were arrested. and the retailer reimbursed sosa for his presents, which cost more than $500. >> and maybe the things you can do to protect yourself is don't have your packages delivered without a signature. >> right. >> you have to be there. take it inside so it's safe. >> and perhaps not have it

delivered to your home, but have it delivered to your office. i think that is just despicable. >> what is your special place in? >> hell for people who steal gifts. >> i know you like that phrase. >> we'll be back with more after this. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

♪ ♪ well, in the days since the massacre in connecticut, there's been lots of talk about gun control. but one amazing young man has taken action. >> and he has been for years, in fact. that's because he's a survivor of another school shooting and has travelled the country to reveal just how easy it is to put lethal firepower in just about anybody's hands. abc's terry moran has more. >> reporter: this heartbreaking season continues in newtown.

this season of funerals. as the country struggles to make sense of the horror, there's a voice you should hear. >> i know what it's like. it's the worst day of their life. it's chaotic. it's hopeless. [ sirens blaring ] >> reporter: colin goddard knows what it's like to be in a classroom when an armed madman bursts in and starts shooting people. colin was a student at virginia tech. >> it was the most terrifying nine and a half minutes of my entire life. >> reporter: he was hit by four bullets. three of them are still in him. weeks after the shooting, he recalled those moments. >> the shooter came inside, and we were all on the ground, not moving, not making a scene at all. just lying there, acting -- playing dead, almost every one of us. yeah, it's been a little messy. >> reporter: colin's journey of recovery from that moment lying on the classroom floor bleeding to now -- the rehab, the

psychological therapy, the search for answers and meaning -- it's all led him to this. >> we are better than this. we are better than a nation with mass shootings in movie theaters and schools and on our streets. hey, drew. >> reporter: he works at the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. but he does more than lobby and make public service announcements. he goes undercover to gun shows across the country, and he says he proves how ridiculously easy it is to buy guns without any kind of background check at all. as he shows us in a documentary called "living for 32," after the 32 virginia tech students who were murdered. >> the llama here. >> the llama? i paid $300 for it. but i wouldn't mess with it for less. there's no tax, no paper, no nothing. i'm a retired schoolteacher. >> reporter: here, at a gun show in ohio, he and his friends were able to buy an assault rifle

without even an i.d. polls show a strong majority of americans favor closing the gun show loophole. but in newtown, that wasn't the problem. at virginia tech, that wasn't the problem. the killers used legally purchased weapons. >> there's not one policy that's going to save us all. but, you know, a background check is something that will make it more difficult for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun. >> reporter: colin goddard is not a victim, but a survivor. and a citizen activist with a youthful conviction that, yes, we can be better than this. >> i can't do this alone. i need people to come together on this. that's why i share my story. this is only going to be a period of my life. it's not going to be forever. but to the extent that i can share my story and move the ball forward, let's do it. >> reporter: terry moran, abc news, washington. >> for all the people talking about reform right now, background checks, strengthening that system right now, absolutely a part of it.

for a lot of people. >> it's crucial. >> and closing that gun show loopho loophole. you have to believe they'll be part of whatever final package emerges. >> what wonderful work this young man is doing. he's an ambassador for peace. >> turning tragedy into a legitimate cause. that's admirable. we'll be back. we'll be back. we'll be back. [ female announcer ] what does the anti-aging power of olay total effects

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lewis, who plays lincoln in the movie, and director steven spielberg watched with senators. >> it was a great honor to be invited here by senator reid and to be ready to, you know, run the film and see both sides sitting in the same room watching a president who put the people out in front of the abyss. >> reporter: this congress is also facing their own abyss. while both republicans and democrats watched the movie, the clock ticked closer to their year-end deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff. the parallels between the movie and the present-day drama were not lost on some. >> i hope everybody that shares the anti-political move will go out and tl and see "lincoln." the movie portrays the nobility of politics in exactly the right way.

>> reporter: and inviting members, the senate leaders said now is as good a time as any for senators to remember their priorities. some already heard the message. >> if you see the movie "lincoln," you saw even back then they were battling for months at a time in order to convince each other to go one way or another. since when has it been a problem to actually have vibrant debate in the united states senate? in this great chamber? since when? what is everybody ascared about? >> reporter: and many hope it will finally close the curtain on this long debate. but the movie was all in good fun and snacks were served, a special rules committee had to approve a waiver to allow senators to eat popcorn inside. sunlen miller, abc news at the capital. >> you need popcorn. >> it's a movie, after all. why not? >> don't be ridiculous. >> i think most people watching would say, get back to work first. get the cliff thing figured out. that's what you don't see behind closed doors. >> that's right. they do need to let me into the senate. they need to let me into the senate. i would get stuff moving. >> put that picture up again. you know what i love about that?

it looks like you and boehner could be related. [ laughter ] >> thank you. thank you, rob. nk you. thank you, rob. [ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection you can count on. introducing at&t u-verse high speed internet with more speed options, reliability and wi-fi hot spots than ever. go to our website below to get u-verse high speed internet for just 14.95 a month for 12 months with

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this morning on "world news now" -- travel nightmare. the blinding whiteout conditions bring danger to busy roads and strand airline travelers. >> this morning's watches, warnings, and how they could impact your holiday travel plans. it's thursday, december 20th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning. i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> hi, everybody. i'm rob nelson. we'll check in with accuweather in just a second, as those storms move east this morning. and then on capitol hill, a political storm. what the speaker of the house

plans to do today to avoid that fiscal cliff and how the white house is already speaking out against it. >> oh, my, my. here we go again. >> how many days left, fellas? we've got to move to the middle at some point. and also this morning, the viral video that captivated the world. you see an eagle. he appears to be a kidnapper. we'll show you why this is nothing but a hoax, and a lesson not to believe everything you see on the internet. and i will say, i called it yesterday, did i not? >> yes, you did. i think that's a lesson most folks -- >> i'm a curmudgeon. i don't believe anything. >> most folks already knew not to believe everything you see on the internet. but it's good that we're proving it yet again. later, something mike strahan refuses to do even though he's been asked about it so often. well have details on that coming up later. always funny to me. look at the size difference of those two. she looks like a kindergartner compared to him. >> but they're magical together. >> they work really well together.

he's had a nice start. so a whole new chapter in that show. good to see that. but first, millions of americans dashing through the snow while a monster storm is pummeling a broad section of the country this morning. >> more than a foot of snow is piling up in the heartland and beyond with winter storm watches posted in 14 states. and drivers are facing zero visibility. our coverage begins with abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: it's beginning to look a lot like winter. plows are busy from arizona to the plains and midwest. blizzard warnings from colorado to wisconsin. in texas, one person was killed in a multi-car highway pileup near lubbock in near zero visibility. in utah, search and rescue teams were called to an avalanche near park city, but searchers say no one was trapped. >> one cancellation, two delays. missed one plane by three minutes. >> reporter: as holiday travel gets under way, more than a foot of snow is expected to blanket cities like des moines and green bay.

>> a lot of unexpected wind and a lot of snow. but it's nice out here right now. >> reporter: up and down the west coast, it's cleanup time. wild wind storms took out huge trees from washington to southern california. garcon martinez was in this truck. he's lucky to be alive. >> i seen it was pretty windy and my truck was rattling a little bit. but i never expected a tree to fall on me. >> reporter: high winds knocked out power at the happiest place on earth, putting disneyland in the dark as the cold moved in. should we blame you for this? >> you're going to blame santa this close to christmas? where is my naughty list? >> reporter: after dumping about 4 inches here, the storm is now headed east. and places like chicago, which hasn't seen a significant snowstorm yet this season is now looking at anywhere from three to six inches of snow. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. first, one major airline hub, denver, then another, chicago.

>> let's check in with accuweather's jim dickey, who has been tracking the storm. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and sunny. snow winding down here in across kansas and nebraska. but the damage has been done. winds still gusty. so the snow on the ground will continue to blow around. blizzard conditions continuing here and many roads will remain closed as we track through the early morning hours, as we track through today. all of this will move into iowa and up into wisconsin, where snow will stay heavy through the day. wind-driven snowfall here. whiteout conditions in many spots. again, those roadways dangerous to be out and about today. along with the slippery roads, near zero visibility with that heavy snow. as far as accumulation, 6 to 12 inches expected from this storm. locally higher than a foot across wisconsin. rob and sunny, back to you. >> jim, thank you. and now to that storm brewing in washington. of course, we've been talking about it for seems like 15 years or so. the fiscal cliff. >> house speaker john boehner's

so-called "plan b" up for mostly a symbolic vote today. for more, we're joined by abc's karen travers. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, sunny. yesterday, president obama went on and on and on about the fiscal cliff, while house speaker john boehner spoke for less than a minute. but it was clear from both of their remarks, there's no deal in sight. just when it seemed like the white house and house speaker john boehner were moving towards a middle ground, negotiations on the fiscal cliff hit a wall. visibly angry, boehner spoke to reporters for less than a minute. >> i hope the president will get serious soon about providing and working with us on a balanced approach. >> reporter: the latest white house offer extends the bush tax cuts for every american earning less than $400,000 a year, up from the original offer of $250,000. president obama said his proposal and boehner's are only a few hundred billion dollars, yes, billion, apart. >> the idea that we would put

our economy at risk because you can't bridge that gap doesn't make a lot of sense. >> reporter: boehner says the house will move forward on his plan "b." that would extend the bush tax cuts for everyone making less than $1 million. >> the house will pass legislation to make permanent tax relief for nearly every american, 99.81% of the american people. >> reporter: a senior administration official said plan b is a waste of time. >> what i wouldn't do was hurt vulnerable families only to pay for a tax cut for somebody like me. >> he can call on the senate democrats to pass that bill or he can be responsible for the largest tax increase in american history. >> reporter: both sides insist that negotiations continue behind the scenes, but they're running out of time to reach a deal. if no agreement is reached by tomorrow, president obama will have to delay his hawaiian holiday vacation. rob and sunny, back to you. a top state department official is expected to face tough questions on capitol hill

today about the benghazi attack. secretary of state clinton had been scheduled to testify at the hearing, but she's still recovering from a concussion. instead, her deputy, william burns, will be there. a scathing report blamed the state department for the attack and four top staffers have been relieved of their duties. >> and one clarification to make on that. all four officials remain as employees, but have been relieved of their current duties, but they're still employees of the state department for right now, pending further action. so they just weren't shown the door. it seems like they've been removed from their current job. and while they investigate. >> that makes sense, because given the report, i mean, you've got the deputy assistant secretary responsible for embassy security. you can't keep that job if something like this happens on your watch. you've got another person, assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security. >> the bottom line, that report

seemed to me to be that there wasn't enough security and requests for additional security were essentially ignored. >> they were ignored. >> so they said there were systemic failures in the department. they didn't blame any one person. they said the system is messed up and hopefully hillary clinton will make good on her word and take their 29 recommendations. >> people died. >> exactly. most importantly. in other news, vice president joe biden holds the first in a series of meetings today over new gun control policy. biden is meeting with top law enforcement officials from around the country. the task force led by biden will also look at ways to increase mental health resources and also consider steps to keep society from glamorizing both guns and violence. a tall order. findings expected within a month. and there will be another wave of grief in newtown today, with more victims being remembered at memorials and funerals. yesterday, a long line of firefighters was at the memorial for daniel barden, who dreamed of becoming a new york city firefighter. hundreds of people waited in lines to pay their respects to sandy hook principal dawn

hochsprung, who, of course, died as she protected her students. just this endless line of funerals. just the sea of grief there. >> there have been so many. with 26 victims, i assume we still have some more to go. >> oh, yeah. not done just yet. a few more days of this. we're not done. i heard of something awful. not to change the mood too much. i'm looking for the -- i pulled this up, too. there was a fake website out there that was raising money for one of the deceased little boys and it came to the family's attention. and they obviously were outraged and rightfully reported it to police. >> it was noah pozner. the 6-year-old little boy. >> before you donate to anything, folks, make sure it's legit, because there is scum out there that would take advantage even of a tragedy like this. >> scam artists. always out there. >> so don't believe everything on the internet. >> despicable yet again. >> a memorial asking for money. it was all a fake. be careful what you donate to. just make sure it's legit, that's all.

now a special offering, a different offering from one of the nation's best elementary school choruses. they are fifth graders at public school 22 in staten island, new york. you've probably heard of them before. >> they're great. there are videos on youtube getting tens of millions of views and the latest offering is a moving rendition of the sandy hook elementary school song. take a listen. ♪ for the green and the white ♪ as many this school will forever ♪ ♪ sandy hook has a history >> isn't that something? >> hearing those little voices again. seeing scenes like that, seeing how "saturday night live" opened their show this last weekend, there's something nice about being reminded of the innocence of kids in light of what was taken from kids in newtown this week. so nice to see that. well done, kids. we'll be back right after this.

♪ three cheers for the green and the white ♪ ♪ the sandy hook school will forever ♪ ♪ ♪ it's so important to make someone happy ♪

when you give a child a toy, it has to work. ♪ make just one someone happy and when it's a toys for tots child, well, what could be more important? so this year, every hasbro toy donated to toys for tots will be powered by duracell. happy holidays. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

♪ and i get on my knees and pray we don't get fooled again ♪ welcome back, everyone. in the past few days, millions of people watched the youtube video that was actually pretty frightening. >> it was. it showed a giant golden eagle

swooping down into a park, picking up a baby, and dropping the baby a few feet away. and it seemed too amazing to be true. and it was. abc's sharyn alfonsi reports. >> reporter: millions of us watched it. a golden eagle swooped in and picks up a toddler. >> oh, [ bleep ]! >> reporter: the internet video leaving us all wondering, is it real? word is that it's an internet hoax, the work of animation students in montreal. part of a school project. while most of us saw an unbelievable, but visually convincing video, some animators across the country were quick to yell fake. but we wanted to know what did they see that we didn't? watch again. clue number one, the eagle's wings. all of a sudden they disappear mid flight. watch. here and then gone. clue number two, the eagle's shadow. it appears out of nowhere. watch again. students from the school produce internet hoaxes every year. remember this escaped penguin?

that was them. these miniature flying cars, too. they're proud of their work, showing us how they made this little girl float away, picking her up behind a green screen. which could be how they made this toddler take flight. and then there's clue number three. that golden eagle is not a golden eagle. in fact, bird experts say it's not the kind of bird that would be found anywhere in north america, proving to the students you can fool some of the people some of the time, but if you want to fool all of the people, you might need a few more classes. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> it was a pretty well done video. i didn't believe it. >> i'm glad we spent network resources getting to the bottom of that. everyone, sleep soundly tonight. coming up next, something michael strahan refuses to do and why. >> and the final chapter of a reality tv show that held so many viewers spellbound, next in "the skinny." >> announcer: "world news now"

continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ skinny, so skinny welcome back, everybody. can't believe it's been more than a year now since regis left his morning talk show. michael strahan, of course, took over. they're doing a great job. seems like he and kelly get along, really like each other.

>> great chemistry. >> great stuff over here. just around the corner from us, even though we've never been invited. >> i want to go. >> you've been there, haven't you? >> no. >> i thought you worked out with kelly. >> well, i know kelly. but i want to go. i've never been to the show, come to think of it. >> she's a jersey native like me. hook me up. >> i'll try. >> that's not the news. michael strahan gave an interview to "elle" magazine and talked about that famous gap-toothed smile and he said, i was close to giving it up. i was at the dentist and i thought about it. i made the conscious effort to say this is who i am. i'm not perfect. i don't want to try to be perfect. that's why he's not going to change it. despite -- >> that's the wrong decision. [ laughter ] >> okay, sunny. all right. that's the wrong decision? >> it's the wrong decision. >> what are you talking about? it's his grille. >> it looks terrible. it's just terrible. he's got to get it fixed! bobbi kristina has to get hers fixed. madonna has to get hers fixed. michael strahan has to get his fixed. they all have to get them fixed.

>> i don't think so. >> none of those -- the crowd. >> get them fixed! >> i don't think so. >> look, they all have gone on to great careers. even lauren hutton, a famous model. >> she needs to get hers fixed, too! >> whoa! >> whoa. >> moving along. >> i don't think so! >> you've upset willis. he's so upset he actually woke up. talking about things that just can't be fixed -- this is going to be good news for some. sad news for others. tim tebow, camilla belle, they broke up. >> oh, no! >> oh! >> say it ain't true! >> they broke up! after less than two months of dating, they broke up. we don't know why, but he remains a devout christian who says he plans to remain a virgin until marriage. i don't know if that has anything to do with the lady problems. but he's also having problems with the jets. the jets made the decision to

bench mark sanchez, but they went to a seventh round 2011 pick, greg mcelroy to start. so he got passed over for that, too. >> he's had a rough year. i feel bad for him in a ways. put him in, why not? can't do any worse than sanchez. >> they're paying him a lot of money. >> no kidding. he goes from a star in denver to nothing on the jets. he's had it rough. i'm sure he'll find another lovely young lady soon. we cannot let this cultural milestone pass without acknowledgement. tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern after six seasons in three years, "the jersey shore" series finale will air tonight. >> yea! yea! >> and you are so sad about this ending. >> whoo! >> jersey is my home state. i thought these kids were endlessly entertaining. don't laugh at them, because they've gone on to make millions of dollars. laugh all you want. there are spinoffs, they'll do well. but look -- all kinds of stuff. >> but it was an awful show. awful! >> most of these kids were not from new jersey.

they were from other areas. keep that in mind. >> just as bad as michael strahan's gapped tooth. >> that's awful. >> just bad. >> michael and kelly, call her. i love y'all. i'll fill in one day. >> fix it. just fix it. >> oh, come on, now. >> fix it. >> brutal today. brutal. he's still making that money. he's still making that money. he's still making that money.

♪ oh, mickey you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind hey, mickey, hey, mickey ♪ mr. strahan? yes, yes. no, it wasn't me. >> get it fixed! >> i'm going to pass on her cell number. >> get it fixed. i will take you. >> thank you, michael. love you, bro. >> i will go with you. cheerleading is about more than just wearing a really short skirt and a big smile. you also have to be a good speller. >> actually rob, you might be surprised. >> really? >> cheerleaders these days are pretty amazing athletes and

fierce competitors. abc's juju chang has more. >> reporter: it takes flipping out to a whole new level. >> oh! >> if you fall again, i'm going to replace you. >> reporter: tlc's new show, "cheer perfection," brings us inside the rough and tumble world of competitive cheerleading. proving the only thing to fear is cheer mom herself. >> stop. that is the worst basket toss i have ever seen in my life. that was terrible, absolutely terrible. >> reporter: alicia dunlap is head coach and co-owner of cheer time revolution in arkansas. it's her job to make little girls into little champions, no matter what it takes. >> come down. everybody run because of cameron and cassidy. >> reporter: even her own daughters can't escape alicia's rather intense form of tough love. >> i try to be tough and strong and i try to be a leader. hard work and effort pays off. >> reporter: but she's not the only mom pushing her child to pompom perfection. bonnie is determined to make her daughter a star on the squad. you bribed her $1,000 to do

backflips. what were you thinking? >> i just wanted to encourage her to do better. and i thought that would -- but people bribe their kids all the time. my daughter loves cheer. she works really hard at it. it's something she wants to do. >> are you having issues? >> reporter: like most mother-daughter situations, there seems to be a slight difference of opinion. do any of your parents push you? to do things you don't want to do? >> yes. >> are the moms acting like they're in high school? >> they're worse than the girls at my school. >> reporter: why? whether they like it or not, it's hard to deny that these girls can rah-rah-rock. i'm juju chang in arkansas. >> that's all well and good as long as the adults don't get too crazy. >> but they have. remember in texas that one mother tried to put a hit on the other? >> oh, yeah. >> on the other mom. >> look at that. look at the jazz hands. look at you. >> look at him. >> looking good. look at you. you've got to be like that girl on "saturday night live." she was like, superstar.

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with over 30,000 hot spots. at&t u-verse high speed internet. now on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection your whole house can count on. ♪ this morning, bracing for a blizzard. >> the first monster snowmaker of the season is roaring out of the rockies, ready to bury the midwest today. major cities, like chicago, in the crosshairs. we have the latest forecast. president obama's call to action. promising a quick, new push for gun control, as newtown gathers for even more good-byes. five days to go. but procrastination will likely pay off this year. shoppers set to see deep, new discounts this weekend. and let's be honest, folks. who really has the time these days to unwrap a burger.